Agro-Forestry Technology Adoption and Its Effect on Farmers’ Crop Productivity in the Upper East Region of Ghana

Abstract:

This study was conducted to investigate the agroforestry technology adoption and its effect on farmers’ crop productivity in the Bawku West, Talensi and Nabdam Districts of the Upper East Region of Ghana. Three hundred farmers from six communities within the study area were interviewed using semi-structured questionnaires. The study employed descriptive statistics in identifying the types of agroforestry technologies adopted by farmers. A five point likert scale was employed to assess the perceptions of farmers on the benefits of adopting agroforestry technologies. The binary logit model was used to determine the factors that influenced the adoption of agroforestry technologies. Finally, the Log linear production model was employed to determine the effects of adopting agroforestry technologies on farmers’ crop productivity in the study area. The study identified the major types of agroforestry technologies adopted by farmers as alley-farming, intercropping, shifting cultivation, homegarden, fodder banks, taungya system, woodlot establishment and hedgegrow. The study revealed that the farmers in the study area have a positive perception about benefits of agroforestry such as its economic advantage, soil erosion reducing and soil nutrient increasing properties. The socio-economic factors influencing farmers’ decision to adopt agroforestry technologies were age, marital status, agroforestry education awareness, landownership, land size, nature of land and access to credit and these were identified as significant positive variables. Finally, variables such as land size, labour, fertilizer and agroforestry technology adoption had significant effect on farmers’ crop productivity in the study area. Small holder farmers and farming households are encouraged to adopt more advanced agroforestry technologies to increase their crop productivity. Farmers had positive perceptions about the benefits of agroforestry technology adoption. It is recommended that Government, Non-governmental Organizations and other relevant stakeholders should further support in the provision of improved tree seedlings and extension services to improve on farmers’ adoption of agroforestry technologies and their economic wellbeing.